Ye Olde Inn

Hello, and apologies

I'm new to the forum, I've browsed before but never joined, however I find myself in a quandary and I beseech the collective knowledge of this community as I cannot seem to find an answer specific to my quandary.

I seem to be a bit late to the HeroQuest party, despite it being a game from my youth I never played it.

Last year I bought a complete core set of the 1990 edition of the UK version of HeroQuest. So far so good I thought, until I started browsing youtube for HeroQuest content, only to find that almost everyone is using either the 1990 US/NA version, or more prevalent, the 2021 remake/First Light edition.

So, whilst I have a full UK core set, I'd like to be able to play the US/NA version as well as the UK one.

I also like the idea of the larger, presumably less cluttered, board in newer editions and I may at a point in the future buy at least the new Kellars Keep/Witch Lord expansions, as they're more readily available and keenly priced than OG '90s versions.



To turn my UK version into a mostly US version I can currently see three valid options -

1. Print the US rules/quest books and cards from the downloads here (I can get them done professionally or do it myself if I can stand a poorer quality).
2. Buy a copy of First Light and replace the card standees and furniture with the counterparts in my UK edition. That also gives me a larger board as well as new rules/quests.
3. I can buy the rulebook/questbook and what is advertised as a full set of cards from the 2021 edition.

Obviously with options 1 and 3 I would still have to buy the larger board...

Buying a US version, or even just rules/quests/cards seems prohibitively expensive, as they all seem to be in the US (duh!) and even just the shipping cost is horrendous!

Buying the full 2021 edition is also out of the scope of my budget.

So I'm wondering, is the game that is First Light at all significantly different to the 1990 US/NA version in the way it plays?

Given that I already have a UK core set is there any other way (not using tabletslaptops etc. with digital files/apps) to obtain and play the US/NA version (without buying an actual used '90s set) that I may be overlooking?


Thanks in advance for any help on this.

The physical components (board, monsters, furniture) for the US version were identical. The main differences were the rules, questbook, and cards. These can all be downloaded from this site. The tiles were slightly different, but not so that it would affect gameplay. It's really just the skull tiles you don't have to track monster BP losses, but any markers or little dice will do.

As to which version is the best can be quite a contentious issue. A lot of people play a combination of both plus house rules. You will find it all here. Enjoy!

I might point out that the current expansion sets often include overlays that are gridded to match the 2021/First Light boards. So there might be an issue if the ‘90s board has smaller grid squares (I’ve read this, but I don’t have a ‘90s edition to compare to).

Hasbro offers the 2021 edition rules on line for free. https://instructions.hasbro.com/en-us/a ... s-rulebook

So that’s easy to compare. (And they also offer all of the expansion sets rulebooks for free as well— use the above link and do a search for ‘HeroQuest.”)

I will recommend the First Light set as a great bargain. It has a double-sided board, all the cards and dice and other necessary elements, plus some original stuff (and a dragon!). So that would solve your board issue for much lower cost.

Thank you both.

I've been doing some reading and have compared the 1990 US rule book and quest books (hosted and downloadable here at the inn) to the 2021 core set edition rule book and quest books (downloaded from Hasbro)...

Turns out that the only difference between the rule books (1990 US to 2021) are the IP changes (Chaos = Dread, Fimir = Abomination) and an inconsequential change to wording of giving artefacts to other heroes.

I've only checked quest 1 but that's also the same in both editions (apart from iconography being changed/updated in the 2021 version), so I'll hazard a guess that they all are.

I've also been able to check the cards and they all seen the same across both 1990 US and 2021 editions.


The videos I've watched and forum (and other social media) threads I've read, talking about the differences, don't make that clear, one even states the new editions are a mix of UK and US rules (which they aren't unless First Light is changed that much!!). Or maybe I have just been a bit dense.


So, for the moment I have opted for option 3 on my list, and purchased just the 2021 rules/quest books/cards. I can then play the US version with my UK set just by swapping the rules/quest books/cards to the 2021 edition.

At some point I'll invest in First Light for the larger board and new quests, and then some expansions.

Thank you both again, much appreciated.

You research is correct. I simply bought the larger board off eBay and have continued using my classic UK version with Avalon Hill expansions. The larger board is great and allows any additional tiles from new expansions to fit. Over time I've collect the new Avalon Hill doors and furniture (bought second hand) but I like the minis and artwork from the originals so I've stuck with them. Occasionally you have to get creative with a few rules and pieces but I think thats all in the spirit of the game. Just consistantly implement any decisions made and you'll do fine. If you want some extra content I make my own hombrew quests and components in both the 2021 and 1989 classic styles. Here https://maister-mule.itch.io/

I too prefer the original furniture. Despite being a bigger board, the new tables are tiny.

The Admiral wrote:I too prefer the original furniture. Despite being a bigger board, the new tables are tiny.

100% agree. I replaced the tatty cardboard inserts on my tables with lolly sticks cut to be planks. Retaining the original feet and plinths. It works a treat.

Well, I guess it's a matter of tastes, budget and nostalgia.
Personally, I've always preferred the old European version for the style of the artworks, which is slighty different from the US version. The lipped bases of the miniatures are looking a bit more elegant than the flat US bases but it's really a minor thing (although in the later Barbarian Quest Pack and Elf Quest Pack they introduced new monsters featuring lipped bases as in the EU version). But some of the European spells are better in my opinion than in any other version (I am talking about Rock Skin, Courage and Fire of Wrath). But Us version has Chaos Spells which were missing in the European edition, and they are a must have! I also prefer some rules from the Eur version ("monsters in the same room as the spellcaster are always visible to cast a spell against" and "searching for traps and secret doors" are grouped into the same action). There is also a more variety in the Treasure deck (Holy Water, Nothing, Treasure Horde and other Gold cards are missing in the US version). On the other side, US monster cards are better balanced with more body points for the bigger monsters (but the Gargoyle would still need a little boost for me) plus there are 3 extra artifacts which are missing in the European version (Elixir of Life, Ring of Return and Spell Ring, which is a great bonus for any wizard hero). These are the valuable differences between the two old versions, all the rest is really not changing the game in a consistent way.
To recap:

US
- Chaos Spells
- Better monster stats
- 3 extra artifacts

EU 1990 (not 1989)
- slightly better rules (in my humble opinion)
- more valuable Hero Spells (in my humble opinion)
(Rock Skin is +2 Def dice, courage is +2 ATT dice and last for many turns not just a single attack, while Fire of Wrath can seek an enemy located anyway on the board)

As for the new version, it takes the rules and content of the old US version. I don't consider it for playing because I do not like the new artwork and the new miniature style but I like the new solid furnitures, the plastic doors and the larger gameboard; larger gameboard fits better with the old miniatures but still results crowdy with the new miniatures since they have a larger base now - so the best combination is NEW gameboard + OLD miniatures. I was lucky enough to won a 2021 Heroquest so I have the new furnitures and even more lucky to have afriend to gift me a First Light so I can use the new double side gameboard which is also foldable in 6 parts, being way more confortable to store in a drawer.

All the components from the UK version were used in the US version, so you wouldn't have to change any of that. The only difference is in the US cards and the UK cards. Several years back I didn't have the most prominent budget but I had the heart to make the necessary components for the game, like the extra spell decks and treasure cards. At a local library I found LaserJet printers worked best on cardstock. The coloring was shades bolder than the cards in the box and cardstock was a bit more flimsy, so I just reprinted the entire deck. Of course, I still needed to be gentle when playing with them. We have the necessary components for 7 out of 13 quest packs.

Some libraries were experimenting with 3D printers back than, although the quality was quite crude I was able to make the monster minis for Frozen Horror & Mage of the Mirror.

So long as you have the European version you won't be missing furniture or monsters. You could print out the US rules on this site as well as all the cards.
First Light has all the pieces but in cardboard form. The only thing First Light has that the Game System is missing is the Dragon miniatures and the alternate side of the board. 5 of the First Light take place on the alternative side.

A few clarifications:

US 2021 Spells:

Fire of Wrath and even Ball of Flame don’t actually say anything on the US 2021 cards about Line of Sight or visibility. However the rules make it quite clear that Line of Sight is required to all spell targets (whether for weal or woe), which I suspect was always the intent. I don’t have the UK cards or rules— do they explicitly state that targets can be anywhere on the board? I find that hard to believe. (First Light adds specific LOS language to the cards, but again, I think that intent was always present.)

US 2021 Courage is somewhat unclear. The text says “next attack,” but it also says “The spell is broken the moment a monster is no longer in the hero’s line of sight.” Since the latter sentence is so specific, I had interpreted that to imply the hero gains +2 attack dice every time he attacks as long as a monster is still in his line of sight. (That’s a very powerful ability.)

First Light changes the spell text, and makes it one attack only, no matter what, but also lost if no monster is in line of sight. So you cast the spell, Zargon ducks the monster around a corner, and *poof*— lost attack, lost spell. (Making it worse than a Potion of Strength, which lasts until the hero attacks something— the monster can’t just hide to break it.)

My original interpretation makes the hero a powerhouse for one combat encounter… but effectively only one encounter. You’re not gonna use it until you face a room full of monsters. But I can see an argument that it’s too powerful that way, and that other hero spells really don’t quite match that level of potential. In general, Spell magic affects one target— either to boost, harm, or interrupt. A spell that can affect multiple targets would be a spell a cut above all the others. So I guess the “one attack only” interpretation was always the intended amount. (Though perhaps the ‘90s UK cards were more explicit in allowing some spells to have more potential power than others.)

In any case, I’d probably dispense with the LOS line on the Courage card; it doesn’t seem a very necessary rule.

As for Rock Skin, yes +2 would be a significant difference between the old UK rules and the old and new US rules (+1). I wonder what provoked the change?